William w



W. W. WHITE.

RACK FOR BLEGTROPLATING.

(No Model.)

No. 384,806. Patented June 19, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 9

WILLIAM W. WHITE, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR IO ROGERS & BROTHER, OF SAME PLACE.

RACK FOR e EcTaoPLATmc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,806, dated June 19, 1888.

Application filed February 27A 1888. Serial No. 265.431. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W.WHITE,of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Racks for Electroplating; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part ,of this specification, and represent, in-- Figure 1, a top or plan view of the rack, represented as partially loaded; Fig. 2, an end view of same; Fig. 3, a side View; Fig. 4, a

transverse section.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of racks for electroplating employed in applying what is termed sectional plating to spoons, forks, and like articlesthat is to say, racks to support spoons and forks in the bath so that an additional amount of metal will be applied at the bearing orsupporting points on the articles to increase the thickness of the metal at those points over the general thickness of the metal on the article. Under the usual construction of racks for this purpose a special rack is necessary for varioussized articles-that is to say, teaspoons, dessertspoons, and table-spoons require a separate rack for each, and so for each sized fork a special rack must be applied, thus necessitating a very large number of racks. Again, in the usual construction each particular article is secured upon the rack independently, necessitating the presence of springs or independent seats for the respective ends of the article, which springs or seats are frequently destroyed by the acid.

The object of my inventionis the construction of a rack which may be adapted to the plating of various-sized articles and so that all the articles upon the rack may be secured by a single device, and therefore all simultaneously released; and it consists in the con struction of the rack, as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claim.

The rack consists of two longitudinal parallel bars, A, made from metal or other suitable material and of a length substantially that of the usual racks, and may be varied according to circumstances. united at their respective ends by a connection, B, preferably of Ushape, and the rack is provided at each end with the usual adjusting-screws and post for theatt-achment of the wire. Upon one side, and parallelwith the bar on that side, a rock-shaft, O, extendsthe lengthof the rack and is supported in suitable bearings'. At the respective ends the shaft is provided with a lever, D, which extends across to the opposite side, and so as to engage with a shoulder or notch, a, formed on the side opposite said shaft,and as represented in Fig. 2. From this shaft wire springs 6 extend across toward the opposite side of the rack between the bars. These springs should be in number according to the number of the articles to be laid upon the rack and so as to stand between such articles, as represented. The ends of these springsare connected by a chain, E, or other suitable flexible connection,

These two bars are i the ends of said chain being in connection with j i a bearing upon.opposite sides of the rack.

Then the levers D are forced downward, which brings the connection E to bear upon the upper side of the articles so laid upon the rack,

so as to bring the springs between the re.

spective articles. The levers are forced downward, so as to draw the connection E tight over the articles on the rack, and the levers forced into engagement with their respective locking-shoulders a. The springs between yield so as to produce the requisite tension by such connection upon the said articles and so as to hold each and all of them firmly upon the 9 rack. After being thus loaded with articles for plating, the rack is inverted'and intro duced to the plating-bath in the usual manner, so as to submerge the articles to the required extent. Then, after the plating is com upon one side, parallel with that side, carrying a series of springs extending toward the leased and removed, and then other articles opposite side, and with a lever at one or both placed upon the rack, as before. Under this endsof the shaft adapted to engage with an inconstruction the usual engaging springs and terlocking device upon the rack, and a conseats are avoided and the rack is much more nection extending from said lever at one end speedily loaded ordischarged than where each to the opposite end of the rack and connected articleis held by its own independent device. with the free ends of the said springs, substan- I claim tially as described.

The herein-described plating-rack, consisting of the two sides connected at their ends, the said sides forming a support for the articles to be plated, combined with a rockshaft l pleted, the rack is removed, and by disconmeeting the levers D all the articles are re- WM. W. WHITE. Vitnesses:

Gno. E. TERRY, DAVID B. HAMILTON. 

